Casa Vicens (Catalan pronunciation: [ˈkazə βiˈsɛns]) is a house in Barcelona, designed by Antoni Gaudí, now a museum. It is located in the neighbourhood of Gràcia on Carrer de les Carolines, 20-26. It is considered one of the first buildings of Art Nouveau and was the first house designed by Gaudí.

The style of Casa Vicens is a reflection of Neo-Mudéjar architecture, one of the popular styles that can be seen throughout Gaudí's architecture, including oriental and neoclassical as well. However, what was unique about Gaudí was that he mixed different styles together and incorporated a variety of different materials, such as iron, glass, ceramic tiles and concrete, many of which can be seen in this building. Gaudí broke away from tradition and created his new language of architecture, and Casa Vicens represents a new chapter in the history of Catalan architecture as well as the beginning of a successful career for Gaudí.

In 1883, Gaudí received the commission from Manuel Vicens i Montaner for the completion of a summer residence. In February 1883, Manuel Vicens requested permission from the City Council of Vila de Gràcia to build a summer house on Calle Sant Gervasi 26 (currently Carolines 20-26). A month earlier he had requested permission to demolish the house he had inherited from his mother, Rosa Montaner given the poor state of conservation of the same.

Although Mr. Manuel Vicens remains a quite unknown character, his will mentions his profession: brokerage and exchange, which would mean that he alleged his connection with ceramics and that he would be reinforced by the inventory of 1885 of the ceramic factory Pujol i Bausis that is conserved in the Municipal Archive of Esplugues de Llobregat, there is documented Mr. Manuel Vicens i Montaner, of Gracia, as a debtor of 1,440 pesetas.[1]

This early work exhibits several influences, most notably the Moorish (or Mudéjar) influence. Casa Vicens marks the first time Gaudí utilized an orientalist style, mixing together Hispano-Arabic inspiration. This was a style of architecture that completely breaks with the norm of the period. Not only does this house mark Gaudí's coming of age, being his first major work of architecture, but it also represents the flowering of Catalan modern architecture.[2]

The plans for construction (site, main floor, facade and section) date back to January 15, 1883. Gaudí was granted a construction permit on March 8 of the same year (Number 239-71; certificate 613). This is recorded in the files of Las Corts de Sarriá.[1] The house is constructed of undressed stone, rough red bricks, and colored ceramic tiles in both checkerboard and floral patterns.

At the time of this construction, Gaudí was just beginning his career. Gaudí graduated from the Provincial School of Architecture in Barcelona in 1878. Throughout his time in school and in the period shortly after, his work portrayed a rather Victorian style, similar to that of his predecessors; however, shortly after finishing school he began to develop his own style that was characterized by Neo-Mudéjar influence. Some characteristics of this style include the juxtaposition of geometric masses, the use of ceramic tiles, metalwork, and abstract brick ornamentation.[3]

In 1899, Casa Vicens was acquired by Dr. Antonio Jover, a surgeon from Havana, Cuba who was the grandfather of the owners of the building prior to its sale to MoraBanc in 2014. In 1924, Jover moved into the house. Before that, it had only been used as a holiday home. During the time of his ownership the house was a private building and was not open to the public. However, the one day that visitors could enter was on 22 May for Saint Rita's day.[4]

In 1925, architect Juan Sierra de Martínez added on a new bay to the rear of the building, following the same style as Gaudí, and also significantly extended the size of the garden. He also modified the main floor entrances. With the widening of Carrer de las Carolinas, the access to the house had to be changed. The former entrance was converted into windows that open directly on to the street and can still be seen today.[5] These renovations were done with maximum respect for the original work, and Gaudí himself even approved these plans. During this time, he was busy constructing the Sagrada Família and was too busy to assist with the renovations for Casa Vicens. Martínez also built a cupola-topped chapel dedicated to Saint Rita at the angle furthest from the house. He continued this project until its completion date in 1926. Due to this work, Martínez won the prize for the best and most emblematic building of the city of Barcelona (Concurs annual d'edificis arístics) in 1927, awarded by the city council.[1]

A final restoration took place between the years 2001 and 2004. The aim of this restoration was to consolidate the facades and furnishings. This work was done under architect Ignacio Herrero Jover.[1]

The roof of Casa Vicens is sloped on two sides and has four gables. A small path was built around the edge of the roof that allows for easy and accessible maintenance if necessary. A characteristic seen throughout Gaudí's work is that the ventilation conducts and chimneys are intricately decorated in similar styles as the facade, adding to and extending the artistic drama of the architecture.[5]

The house is divided into four levels: a basement, two floors for living and a loft. The original building was small and measured only 12 x 16 meters with two individual bays. A brick waterfall fountain was built as well. The basement is 302 meters2, the ground floor is 332 meters2 plus 22 meters2 of terrace, the first floor is 225 meters2 plus 79 meters2 of terrace, and the second floor is 272 meters2. The total area of the house is roughly 1266 meters2.[5]

On the ground floor, there is an extensive sitting-dining room, a small Turkish-style smoking room, and two additional rooms. This floor was slightly elevated to allow for better ventilation and improved lighting of the basement. The second floor was where the family's bedrooms were. A horseshoe-shaped stairway served as access to this floor. The third floor, or the attic, was where the servants lived. The horseshoe-shaped stairway also continued up to this floor. However, after the renovations in 1925 the location of the stairway that gave access to the bedrooms was changed. The basement, or bottom floor contained just enough space for a storage room, junk room and a kitchen. The basement received its light from an English-style courtyard.[5]

Casa Vicens was built using a variety of different materials and vibrant colors. This style was a key characteristic of modern architecture. Some key elements include bricks, tiles and iron. The architecture of the house itself was unique, however the combination of paintings, sculptures and the applied arts adds essential complements that are characteristic of the modern style of Gaudí.[1]

Neo-Mudéjar architecture is a type of Moorish revival architecture that Gaudí incorporated into Casa Vicens. This revival movement began in Madrid in the late 19th century, later spreading to other parts of the country. It is considered Spain's special mixture of Muslim-Christian design.[3] Some features of this ancient style such as horse-shoe arches, and abstract and vibrant facade ornamentation can be seen in Casa Vicens; the horse-shoe shaped staircase and the brick ornamentation on the front facade.[6]El Capricho (1833-1835) and the Güell Estate of the later 1880s are two other examples of Neo-Mudéjar style in Gaudí's architecture.

The dining room is the most decorated room in the house and incorporated many figures from nature, such as birds and vines. Gaudí used pressed cardboard to create three dimensional model figures of ivy, fruit and flowers for the interior of the building. The dome painting in the sitting room gives one the impression of looking through a glass dome, to the sky. The interior ceiling ornamentation is decorated with colorful plants and flowers.[7]

The first two levels of the house, as seen from the front facade facing Carrer de les Carolines, are lined with horizontal roles of ceramic tiles decorated with French marigolds that can also be seen on the floors in the interior of the house. These marigolds grew on the grounds of the estate, are an example of how Gaudí derived much of inspiration from his love of nature. The cast iron railings with their plant motifs and iron palm leaves that form the gates to the house are other ways that Gaudí incorporated nature into his work. Plants that had to be destroyed for the construction of the building, such as the marigolds or the palm trees, were incorporated into the details of the building. Casa Milá, popularly known as La Pedrera, is another example of Gaudí modern architecture whose design based on the ocean with its curved edges and seaweed motifs is another example of nature serving as his inspiration.[8]

From the second floor up, these tiles switch to vertical and the floral pattern on them is replaced with green and white tiles. Elegant cherub like figures sit on the edge of the small balcony that faces the street.[5] He paid particular attention to each and every detail, such as creating ridged edges to the corners of the building to avoid the austere appearance of classical architecture.[9]

Casa Batlló

Casa Batlló is a building in the center of Barcelona. It was designed by Antoni Gaudí, and is considered one of his masterpieces. A remodel of a previously built house, it was redesigned in 1904 by Gaudí and has been refurbished several times after that. Gaudí's assistants Domènec Sugrañes i Gras, Josep Canaleta and Joan Rubió also contributed to the renovation project. The local name for the building is Casa dels ossos, as it has a visceral, skeletal organic quality.

Casa Milà

Casa Milà, popularly known as La Pedrera or "The stone quarry", a reference to its unconventional rough-hewn appearance, is a modernist building in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It was the last private residence designed by architect Antoni Gaudí and was built between 1906 and 1912.

Modernisme

Modernisme, also known as Catalan modernism, is the historiographic denomination given to an art and literature movement associated with the search of a new entitlement of Catalan culture, one of the most predominant cultures within Spain. Nowadays it is considered a movement based on the cultural reivindication of a catalan identity. Its main form of expression was in architecture, but many other arts were involved, and especially the design and the decorative arts, which were particularly important, especially in their role as support to architecture. Modernisme was also a literary movement.

Lluís Domènech i Montaner

Lluís Domènech i Montaner was a Spanish architect who was highly influential on Modernisme català, the Catalan Art Nouveau/Jugendstil movement. He was also a Catalan politician.

Josep Maria Jujol

Josep Maria Jujol i Gibert was a Spanish architect. Jujol's wide field of activity ranged from furniture designs and painting, to architecture. He worked with Antoni Gaudí on many of his most famous works. Among Jujol's projects are Casa Batlló, Casa Milà, Park Güell, and Our Lady of Montserrat, and among his design styles are Modernisme and Art Nouveau.

Spanish architecture

Spanish architecture refers to architecture carried out in any area in what is now Spain, and by Spanish architects worldwide. The term includes buildings within the current geographical limits of Spain before this name was given to those territories. Due to its historical and geographical diversity, Spanish architecture has drawn from a host of influences. Iberian architecture started to take shape in parallel with other architectures around the Mediterranean and others from Northern Europe.

Neo-Mudéjar

The Neo-Mudéjar is a type of Moorish Revival architecture. In Spain, this architectural movement emerged as a revival of the Mudéjar style. It appeared in the late 19th century in Madrid, and soon spread to other regions of the country. Such architects as Emilio Rodríguez Ayuso perceived the Mudéjar art as characteristical and exclusive Spanish style. They started to construct buildings using some of the features of the ancient style, as horseshoe arches, arabesque tiling, and the use of the abstract shaped brick ornamentations for the façades.

Joan Martorell

Joan Martorell i Montells was a Catalan architect and designer. He was an uncle of the architect Bernardí Martorell i Puig.

List of Gaudí buildings

Antoni Gaudí was an architect from Catalonia, Spain, who belonged to the Modernisme movement. He was famous for his unique style and highly individualistic designs.

Illa de la Discòrdia

The Illa de la Discòrdia or Mansana de la Discòrdia[mənˈsanə ðə lə disˈkɔɾði.ə] — "Block of Discord"; Spanish: Manzana de la Discordia — is a city block on Passeig de Gràcia in the Eixample district of Barcelona, Spain. The block is noted for having buildings by four of Barcelona's most important Modernista architects, Lluís Domènech i Montaner, Antoni Gaudí, Josep Puig i Cadafalch and Enric Sagnier, in close proximity. As the four architects' styles were very different, the buildings clash with each other and the neighboring buildings. They were all built in the early years of the 20th century.

Casa Lleó Morera

The Casa Lleó Morera is a building designed by noted modernisme architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner, located at Passeig de Gràcia 35 in the Eixample district of Barcelona. In 1902 Francesca Morera assigned Lluís Domènech i Montaner to remodel ancient "casa Rocamora", built in 1864. She died in 1904, and the building was named after her son, Albert Lleó i Morera. The building is located on the corner of Carrer del Consell de Cent, and is one of the three important buildings of Barcelona's Illa de la Discòrdia, and it is the only building of the block awarded Barcelona's town council's Arts Building Annual Award, obtained in 1906. The building lost some of its most representative elements, such as the tempietto on its top and the ground floor and mezzanine's architectural sculpture.
The building is also known as the residence of Cuban-Catalan photographer Pau Audouard.

Casa Botines

The Casa Botines is a Modernist building in León, Spain designed by Antoni Gaudí. It was adapted to serve as the headquarters of Caja España, a local savings bank.

Antoni Gaudí

Antoni Gaudí i Cornet was a Spanish architect known as the greatest exponent of Catalan Modernism. Gaudí's works have a highly individualized, one-of-a-kind style. Most are located in Barcelona, including his main work, the church of the Sagrada Família.

Bellesguard

Bellesguard, also known as Casa Figueres, is a modernist manor house designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí, which was constructed between 1900 and 1909.

Gaudí House Museum

Gaudí House-Museum, located within the Park Güell in Barcelona was the residence of Antoni Gaudí for almost 20 years, from 1906 till the end of 1925. On 28 September 1963 it was opened as a historic home museum and nowadays houses a collection of furniture and objects designed by the architect.

Confidant from the Batlló House

The Confidant from Casa Batlló, also known as the Double Sofa or Banc de dues places , is a furniture piece designed by Antoni Gaudí. Originally designed for the dining room of Casa Batlló on Barcelona's Passeig de Gràcia, the chair is currently exhibited in the Modern Art collection of the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya and at Casa Museu Gaudí in Barcelona. Replicas are displayed at the Gaudí-designed Casa Batlló and Casa Milà.

Casa Trinxet

Casa Trinxet was a building designed by the Catalan Modernisme architect Josep Puig i Cadafalch and built during the years 1902–1904, officially considered completed in 1904. It was located at the crossroads of Carrer Balmes and Carrer del Consell de Cent, in the Eixample district of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Casa Trinxet was "one of the jewels of Barcelona Modernisme" and one of the buildings of Barcelona's Illa de la Discòrdia, because of competing attitudes among Domènech i Montaner, Puig i Cadafalch and Antoni Gaudí.

Casa Pomar

Casa Pomar is a modernist apartment building located at number 86, Carrer de Girona, Barcelona.

Altarpiece of Alella

The so-called Altarpiece of Alella is a design by the Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí that is part of the project of the chapel of the Holy Sacrament commissioned in 1883 by the Rector Jaume Puig i Claret for the parish church of Sant Feliu in Alella. It became known by a drawing preserved in the parochial archive found in 1959, delineated with India ink in two colours and showing Gaudí’s signature, published for the first time in the same year. A reproduction was included the book Gaudí by George R. Collins the following year which was transcendent for the worldwide diffusion of the work of the architect of Reus as it was the first monograph dedicated to him in English language.

Palau Baró de Quadras

The Palau Baró de Quadras is a small modernista palace located in Barcelona on Avinguda Diagonal, equidistant from La Pedrera and Casa de les Punxes. It was built by the Catalan architect Josep Puig i Cadafalch between 1904 and 1906. In 1976 it was designated as Nacional National Historical Monument of Artistic Interest. Currently houses the main offices of the Institut Ramon Llull.